Wrench head

ABSTRACT

An annular wrench head in the form of a socket or a box end wrench which has a plurality of arcuately cross-sectioned ribs extending into the central opening of the head and spaced from one another so as to contact the midway point of certain of the faces of the fastener head. The spaces between the ribs are in alignment with the edges of the fastener head.

United States Patent Myers [451 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] WRENCH HEAD FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 290,392 4/1953 Switzerland ..8I/l2lR 1,012,053 4/1952 France ..8l/l2lR Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. Attorney-Webb, Burden, Robinson & Webb [57] ABSTRACT An annular wrench head in the form of a socket or a box end wrench which has a plurality of arcuately cross-sectioned ribs extending into the central opening of the head and spaced from one another so as to contact the midway point of certain of the faces of the fastener head. The spaces between the ribs are in alignment with the edges of the fastener head.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATE NTEDum m2 ll filo mm Fig I l INVENTQR. HERMAN A. MYERS WRENCH HEAD This invention relates to annular wrench heads and, more particularly, to sockets and box end wrenches which are adapted to contact the faces of polysided fastener heads.

Presently acceptable box end wrenches and sockets are of the type which contact the edges of the fastener head. However, repeated usage, over tightening or loosening of over tightened fasteners often result in the rounding off of the fastener head edges, thereby ending the usefulness of the fastener.

Attempts have been made to contact the faces of the fastener head to eliminate this problem, but such attempts have not proven fruitful. For example, wrench heads have been designed in which a number of ribs extend outwardly from the wrench head to contact the face of the fastener. These ribs have been positioned so as to contact the faces of the fastener head in the areas immediately adjacent the edges. As a result, each face of the fastener head is contacted by a minimum of two ribs and this contact is in the area immediately adjacent the edges.

Feed through sockets have also been designed in which ribs contact the faces of the fastener head, but the ribs are triangular in cross-section and are of different lengths and they initially contact the edges, thereby spinning the fastener head into place, the spinning caused by the power equipment to which the feed through socket is connected.

My invention eliminates these aforementioned problems by providing a wrench head, either in the form of a socket or a box end wrench, which is easily positioned over a fastener head and which completely protects the edges of the fastener. In addition, slippage is minimized so there is instant action upon turning the wrench head.

My invention provides an annular wrench head for gripping the faces of a polysided fastener by means of arcuately cross-sectioned ribs which contact certain of the faces of the fastener at the midpoint of the faces. In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my presently preferred embodiments of my invention in which:

' FIG. 1 is a plan view of a box end wrench for a hex headed fastener;

FIG. 2 is an end view showing a socket adapted to grip a hex headed fastener;

FIG. 3 is a section through section lines lIl--Ill of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the end of the socket which connects to the ratchet;

F IG. 5 is a plan view of a box end wrench adapted to contact a four sided fastener head; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of a socket adapted to contact a four sided fastener head.

My invention is adaptable to annular wrench heads of the type normally associated with sockets or box end wrenches. When employed as a box end wrench, my invention consists of a handle 10 integral with a wrench head 11, see FIG. 1. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that a typical box end wrench includes wrench heads of different sizes on opposing ends of the handle and while I have shown but one wrench head, it will be recognized that another such wrench head would normally be integral with the handle at the opposite end thereof.

The annular wrench head 11 has a central opening 12 therethrough which cooperates with hex headed fastener 14. Ribs 15 extend outwardly from the annular wrench head 11 into the central opening 12. These ribs 15 are arcuate in cross-section and extend substantially the length of the opening 12. The ribs 15 are spaced from one another so that they'contact the midpoints of every other face 16 of hex head 14. The spaces 17 between the ribs 15 align with the edges and the uncontacted faces of the hex head 14.

The same principles of the wrench head are applicable to a socket as shown in FIGS. 2 through 4 where like parts are similarly numbered and followed by a prime. Socket head 20 cooperates with hex head 14' so that the three arcuately cross-sectioned ribs 15, which extend outwardly into central opening 21, contact every other face 16 of the hex head 14 at the midpoint of the respective faces. The central opening 21 extends into the socket head 20 andv communicates with a second opening 22 which is substantially square in cross-section, see FIG. 4, and cooperates with the neck of a ratchet wrench, not shown, in the known manner. The ribs 15' extend substantially the length of the central opening 21, see FIG. 3.

Where a square headed fastener head, such as used in certain machine bolts, is employed the ribs are spaced to contact every face of the fastener head. This is shown in FIG. 5' wherein a box end wrench includes a handle 30 terminating in a wrench head 31. The wrench head 31 has a central opening 32 therethrough and ribs 33 extend outwardly from the annular wrench head 31 into the central opening 32. Opening 32 cooperates with square headed fastener 34 in that the ribs 33 are spaced to contact the midpoints of every face 35 of square headed fastener 34. The ribs 33 are again completely rounded so that they are arcuate in cross-section. Ribs 33 extend substantially the length of opening 32.

As in the case of the box end wrench adapted to hex headed fasteners, the wrench head 31 is likewise compatible for usage as a socket. The socket 40, shown in FIG. 6, has a central opening 41 which cooperates with square headed fastener 34'. Ribs 33 extend outwardly from the annular wrench head 40 into the central opening 41 to contact the midpoints of each face 35' of square headed fastener 34'. The socket 40 terminates in a connecting portion which cooperates with the neck of a ratchet in the same manner as the socket shown in FIG. 4. In addition, ribs 33' are arcuately cross-sectioned and extend substantially the length of opening 41.

In using my sockets or box end wrenches, one merely places the proper sized opening over the fastener head so that the ribs contact the midpoints of the faces of the fastener head and the arcuate cross-sectioned ribs will provide a contact which will be non-slip and which will protect the edges of the fastener head.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. An annular wrench for gripping every other face of a hex-headed fastener having three arcuately cross sectioned ribs, each extending outwardly into a central opening of the annular head and extending substantially the length of said opening, said ribs spaced and dimensioned so that the most outwardly extended portion of each rib contacts the midway point of the face of the fastener head and the spaces between the ribs being in alignment with edges of the fastener head. 5

2. The wrench head of claim 1 in combination with a handle integral therewith to form a box end wrench.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent: No. 3,695 ,124 Dated October 3 1972 IIWQMOHHLN- Herman A. Myers It is certified that error appears in the above-idemtified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 64, "wrench should read H wrench head Signed and sealed this 13th day of February 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-105O (IO-G9) USCOMM c 50376 p69 l5. GOVERNMENT PRINTlNG OFFICE: 1959 O3$6-SS 

1. An annular wrench for gripping every other face of a hexheaded fastener having three arcuately cross sectioned ribs, each extending outwardly into a central opening of the annular head and extending substantially the length of said opening, said ribs spaced and dimensioned so that the most outwardly extended portion of each rib contacts the midway point of the face of the fastener head and the spaces between the ribs being in alignment with edges of the fastener head.
 2. The wrench head of claim 1 in combination with a handle integral therewith to form a box end wrench. 